02.06. Chapter Six

Chapter Six The Stones of the Temple

“And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew [them], and the stonesquarers: so [and] they prepared timber and stones to build the house” (1 Kings 5:18). “And the house, when it was building, was built of stone made ready [perfect] before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7). Stone placed upon stone, each fitted into its appointed place, and all these white marble stones were polished after the similitude of a palace—

“Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprung. “ In 1 Chronicles 29:2, we read that David provided “marble stones in abundance. “The Hebrew word employed shows that the marble was white. These stones were doubtless used for the paving of the court, for the structure of the wall, and for the building of the Temple, “according to the measures of hewed stones” (1 Kings 7:9; 1 Kings 7:11). The Spirit of God interprets in one portion of the Scriptures the figures He uses in another. The Apostle Peter says, “Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house “1 Peter 2:5). Each stone represents the individual believer, once dead in trespasses and sins, but now quickened by the Spirit of the living God; hence we are called upon to “look unto the rock whence ye are hewn” (Isaiah 2:1). The evangelist is God’s quarryman, used by Him to detach these stones from the world in which they are embedded according to nature. This is often hard work, requiring great skill. Then follows the work of the pastor, leading them to a deeper experience of Divine truth, bringing them into the communion of saints below, preparatory to their being built by the true Solomon in resurrection glory into an everlasting habitation for God. Then these stones must be “polished after the similitude of a palace. “This is the work of the teacher, who unfolds the mysteries of God, and leads souls upward, onward, Godward, into closer conformity to Christ. The present world is God’s workyard, in which there is fellowship of labour. The Lord Jesus is not only making use of the gifts of the Spirit, but also of the trials and temptations which come upon Christians, for all things are under His skilful hand, therefore “all things work together for good to them that love God. “Well may the Apostle Paul write that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed, that “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Being thus polished and made ready, the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23) are waiting for the time when they shall be presented faultless before the presence of His glory. “There the sound of the hammer shall no more be heard, for there shall be no sorrow nor sighing, only the sound of thanksgiving and blessing; glory, honour, praise, and power unto Him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. The Roofs So he built the house and finished it; and covered [cielled] the house with beams [vault-beams] and boards [ceiling boards] of cedar” (1 Kings 6:9). “And the greater house he ceiled with [covered above with] fir [cypress] tree” (2 Chronicles 3:5). These vault-beams, as the Hebrew word informs us (geibirn from gab, an arch), were semi-circular, thus forming a dome for the covering. The vault-beams and the ceiling boards (probably the internal rafters) were of cedar, both for the Holy and Most Holy house; while the greater house, constituting the Holy Place and side-chambers, was covered again externally with fir (or cypress, as Hesenius considers, as being exceedingly firm and durable, and employed where strength and durability were especially required). These domed roofs covered with cedar and cypress, in contrast with the shittim wood and the badgers’-skin covering of the Tabernacle, are in keeping with the heavenly character of the Temple—the Tabernacle in the Wilderness being the type of the Church of God on earth, the Temple the type of the redeemed, as called with a heavenly calling and perfected in heavenly glory. The Woodwork Of The Temple The whole of the Temple was covered within and without with wood. The walls within were wainscotted with cedar, and all the exterior was covered with cedar or cypress, including the galleries (see 1 Kings 6:15-16, 1 Kings 6:18; Ezekiel 41:16-17; Ezekiel 41:25-26); the floor of the Holy Place with planks of cypress; and cedar covered the whole of the Most Holy Place.

Four kinds of wood are mentioned in the Word in connection with Jehovah’s dwelling-places: Shittim Wood, of which the Ark of the Covenant was constructed, an emblem of humanity. In the Ark it sets forth the sinless humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Cedar, being from its incorruptible nature an emblem of the incorruptible resurrection body. A piece of worm-eaten cedar was never seen. The sap of the cedar is death to the worm; so that, instead of the worm destroying the cedar, the cedar destroys the worm.

Fir or Cypress, employed where strength and durability were required, typical of resurrection strength.

Olive, or oily wood, is emblematic of resurrection spirituality, or the “spiritual body. “All these seem to be dealt with in that wonderful passage, 1 Corinthians 15:42; 1 Corinthians 15:44; 1 Corinthians 15:53, where the resurrection bodies of the saints are so fully described. “it is sown a natural body (the shittim wood), it is raised a spiritual body (the olive or oily wood); it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption (the cedar); it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power” (the cypress). “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. “ The Carvings The cedar was carved with knops [gourds] and open flowers, cherubim and palm trees, similar to the carving on the doors (1 Kings 6:18-29; Ezekiel 41:18-20). Christ says of Himself, “I am the Door. “The cedar boards, being carved in conformity with the doors, represents the bodies of saints conformed in resurrection glory to the glorified body of the great Redeemer; for, “as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:49). He shall change the body of our humiliation, that it may be fashioned like unto the body of His glory (Php 4:21). “When He shall appear, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). As melted wax takes the impress of the seal, so, the moment the saints are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, these bodies will take the impress of His glorious body; thus we shall be conformed to the glorious pattern of the Divine Redeemer. Capacities for service may be typified by the cherubim; dignity, fruitfulness, and triumph by the palm trees; the germs and unfoldings of every spiritual grace by the seed vessels and open flowers. All these were seen in their beauty and excellency in Jesus, and the risen saints will be conformed to Him in resurrection glory. The Overlaying with Silver and Gold The reason given for David’s contribution of silver, in 1 Chronicles 29:4, was to overlay—literally, to plaster—the walls of the house. It would appear that the stone walls were first plastered with silver, then covered with Cedar, and afterwards overlaid with gold—the whole house within and without, including the roof, walls, floor, doors (1 Kings 6:20-22; 1 Kings 6:30; 1 Kings 6:32; 1 Kings 6:35; 2 Chronicles 3:5-9)—not gilded, but covered with gold, fitted upon the carved work, bringing the whole into surpassing splendour. Silver is the emblem of atonement, for the typical redemption price was paid in silver (Exodus 30:11-16). Gold, the most precious of metals, appears to be the emblem of that which is Divine—divinely excellent and glorious, a faint foreshadowing of the glory of God which the redeemed will forever share. So also the Holy City, New Jerusalem, the emblem of the Church as the Bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:11; Revelation 21:18), was seen of John in vision as “pure gold, ““having the glory of God. ““The glory which Thou hast given Me, “says Jesus, “I have given them” (John 17:22). The bodies of the saints, sown in dishonour, will be raised in glory (1 Corinthians 15:43). As the gold fitted on the carved work did not obliterate, but added perfection to the carvings of the cedar, so the Divine glory put upon the redeemed will display more fully those excellencies of the Redeemer which they will reflect, into whose image they will have been transformed. The weight of gold is enormous, reminding us of that expression, our light affliction which is but for a moment, “these chisellings and carvings so painful now, “worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Not only will glory given to them press upon the spirits of the redeemed, constraining to gratitude and praise, but redemption wrought for them will press with still heavier burden. Oh, for more of that faith which is the substance of things hoped for in eternity, to bring the pressure of these obligations to bear on our hearts in time! These afflictions will soon be past, these clouds shall give place to one unclouded day, encircling with perpetual spring the everlasting year. The Precious Stones

David provided for the house of his God “onyx stones and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones” (1 Chronicles 29:2; 1 Chronicles 29:8). Solomon “garnished the house with precious stones for beauty” (2 Chronicles 3:6). So also the light of the Holy Jerusalem, seen of John in vision, “was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal “[crystallising] (Revelation 21:11). Paul appears to have had these things in his mind when he wrote, “If any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones. “For he is speaking of believers as being God’s Temple, in which the Spirit of God dwelt (1 Corinthians 3:12; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17). These precious stones aptly set forth those spiritual excellencies and perfections which will be conspicuous in the redeemed in glory, the workmanship of the eternal spirit, those graces of the Spirit of God which will be there in full bloom— “open flowers, “not simply graces in the bud and embryo, but in growth and perfection, which shall there appear in the clear radiance of the Divine presence in all their spiritual beauty.

—Our Daily Homily